The proceedings of a House of Representatives hearing on opportunities for self-sufficiency for single women in poverty are presented in this document. Included are statements presented by three panels consisting of experts in the field of welfare and employment policy, the General Accounting Office, and representatives of the National Association of State Welfare Administrators; the Reagan Administration; and witnesses who address specific concerns about child care, adolescent mothers, and educational opportunities for welfare recipients. Questions discussed include the following: (1) How should the income support system be structured so that it is able to provide a decent life for families without resulting in permanent poverty for so many of them? (2) How should resources be targeted to people with diverse needs? What approaches work best for which groups? (3) What is the Federal role in assuring that adequate child care and medical care are available to mothers making the transition from welfare to work? (4) How should government make the initial investment needed to reach severely disadvantaged participants? (5) How should Federal programs be designed to effectively serve large numbers of people? (6) How does Federal policy affect the availability of better-paying employment options for women? (7) Are adequate evaluation methods in place to determine which welfare employment programs are most successful in helping women achieve self-sufficiency? If not, how can they be implemented? (KH)